Thill-coupling



(-No Model.)

L. MASON.

THILL COUPLING. No. 354,160. Patented Dec. 14. 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

LOVANE MASON, OF HARTLAND, NEIV YORK.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,160, dated December 14, 1886.

Application filed October 'I, 1886. Serial No. 215,547. (Yo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOVANE MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartland, in the count-y of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a combined thill coupler and bolt.

My invention consists in details of construction described below, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, the parts being open. Fig. 2 is a plan shpwing the coupler attached to the thill and ax e.

Like letters refer to like parts.

All the parts, except the anti-rattler, are made of suitable metal.

A represents the back piece, which is provided with a depression, a, affording a firm seat for the anti-rattler, the back side of which is further supported by the parts a of said back piece. Either end of the back piece is formed into an eye, B, to which the bolt and latch G D are respectively hinged by means of the double eye B, formed on their inner ends, and the pins 7). The bolt-eye has a strong curved extension, 0, terminating in a circular shoulder, c, from which the bolt extends in smaller diameter, said bolt having also an inclined end, (I, and a transverse notch, d. The shoulder 0 forms a stop or support for theeye of the thill-iron when slipped over the bolt. The latch has an opening, D, for engaging with notch d and a thun1b-piece,f, for pushing the latch on or off.

It will be noticed that the metal on either side of opening Dhas sufficient width to form an ample shoulder to correspond with 0 when the latch is closed to fasten the bolt and thilliron.

' E is the rubber anti-rattler. Its inner side corresponds with the back piece, A, and thus cannot move out of place. The frontside has a concave extension, 9, forming with the body of the rubber shoulders 9, so that when the rubber portion 9 is compressed by the thilliron the latter will have a continuous rest, the back-pressure being mainly in the center to press the bolt against the latch in the best manner.

In Fig. 2 I show one way of attaching the thill, the axle, the thill, and thill-iron being broken away.

F is the axle, and G the axle clip or shackle. A screw, h, passing through the clip, the back piece, and some distance into the anti-rattler firmly fastens the coupling to the axle. Of course more than one screwor bolt may be used.

His the thill, and II the thill-iron terminating in acylindrical eye, J, through which the bolt 0 passes.

To put on a thill, it is only necessary to pass the eye J over the bolt when swung back, as in Fig. 1, and then press said eye into the rubber until the latch can be snapped into the notch cl. The thill may be released at any time by further pressing the eye J into the rubber and swinging back the latch. By having the bolt hinged to the back piece so as to swing back time and case is gained in putting the thill on or off and ample room to operate in is afforded.

I am aware that a spring back piece provided with a rigid notched bolt and a hinged latch has been used, and I disclaim such. A spring does not allow the bolt to draw back far enough for convenience, and is likely to break, rendering the whole device useless.

I am also aware that a shouldered bolt and a transverselyswinging hook have been hinged to a depending block, the latter swinging down when the hook is released and not rigidly fastened to the axle-clip, like mine. The V bolt-shoulder and hook do not form stops for the eye of the thill-iron, and to use the device a clip of peculiar construction is required. The hook is liable from the jar of the vehicle or an accidental knock to get free and release the coupling, which will not happen when the latch snaps into a notch on the bolt. If the arms on the axle clip (which form the stops) were dispensed with and the coupling attached ICC Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination. with the back piece rigidly secured tothe aXle-clip, of the notched bolt having an inclined point and provided with an extension hinged to said piece, forming a wide shoulder at the base of the bolt, and the latch hinged to the hack piece to swing longitudinally,and provided with an inclined thumb piece, said latch entirely surrounding the bolt and forming an ampleshoulder hearing directly on the eye of the thilliron, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the axle and its Shackle, of the back piece, A. rigidly attached to the latter. and having depression a,flat port-ious a. and eyes 13. the hinge-pins b, the bolt 0, having inclined end d, notch d. and the extension 0. provided with a wide shoulder, a, and double eye B, the anti rattler E, having its inner side corresponding with the back piece and having concave extension gand shoulders y, the eye J of the thilliron, and the latch D, having opening .D surrounding the bolt. th urnb-piece f, and double eye B, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 1 i LOVANE MASON. Witnesses:

FRANK B. VAN NoRMIcK, J. O. WATTS. 

